Dragon House

Dragon House
John Shors
September 2009
384 pages

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FTC disclaimer: I have both Carrie and John Shors to thank for this one. Carrie mentioned on her blog, Books and Movies, that the author, John Shors, was giving away a few copies of his book. And lucky me, I was the recipient of one of those copies. Yes, FTC, you read that right…I received a free book from the author. And it’s signed, too, so I’m keeping it.

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Dragon House is the story of Vietnamese street children. Actually, it’s much more than that, but I wanted to emphasize that because that is what drew me to this book, and it is also the part of the story that I found the most compelling.

After the death of her father, Iris travels to Vietnam to finish his dream of establishing a refuge for street children. Accompanying Iris is her childhood friend Noah, who is trying (quite unsuccessfully) to deal with the loss of his leg in Iraq. Intertwined with their stories are the tales of Mai and Minh, two street children who are at the mercy of an opium addict, and Qui and Tam, a grandmother and her granddaughter who is losing her battle with leukemia. Two other characters are the upbeat and efficient Thien, and policeman Sahn, both of whom will be instrumental in the opening of the center. Sahn also provides an interesting historical perspective, as he frequently remembers the war and his bitterness towards Americans.

As the lives of these eight people intersect, they become a family and a source of strength to each other. While the story starts with Iris, she fades into the background after she and Noah arrive in Hanoi. And I was glad to see that happen, because the stories of the Vietnamese characters are much more powerful, especially that of Mai and Minh. These two are particularly close…they protect each other from the hazards of life on the street. Although unrelated, they consider themselves brother and sister. While the book focuses on all of the above mentioned characters, it was Mai and Minh who I kept wanting to hear more about. Their resiliency and positive attitude contrasted sharply with the reality of their lives.

Noah also has a strong story line as the book progresses, and his character and circumstances offer a look into the consequences of war, and America’s involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. Each of the characters brings something different to the story, and I’m sure every reader will connect differently with the book and the characters, as there is lots to think about. However, having said that, I don’t think there’s too much going on. In fact, I would’ve liked more about Thien’s background, and what brought her to Hanoi.

One final note…John Shors is donating a portion of the proceeds of this book to the charity Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation. Go John!